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Cowpea is an erect to sub-erect, or prostrate, climbing, glabrous, annual herb. The stems are somewhat square and ripped, often with violent nodes (Ton and Koop, 2008). It belongs to the family Fabaceae, it is one of the most ancient crops known to man. Cowpea is botanically known as Vigna unguiculata L., (Walp.) which in older references may be identified as Vigna sinensis (L.)(James, 1999). It is widely grown in Africa (with Nigeria and Niger Republic predominating), Brazil, West Indies, India, United States, Burma, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia and Australia. The history of cowpea dates to ancient West African cereal farming, five to six thousand years ago, where it was closely associated with the cultivation of sorghum and pearl millet(Ton and Koop, 2008). Read more on researchcub.info
The effect of seed size on the germination and seedling development was carried out on four local varieties of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) walp), oloyin,drum, ifebrown and local white. Each of the varieties were sorted into big and small seeds, 100 seeds each of both big and small seeds of the four Varieties were weighed and the average weights were calculated and recorded. Six seeds of each sort were planted in a plastic pot filled with sandy-loamy soil in three replicates. Results of the various parameters studied revealed that germination efficiency was similar in both big and small seeds of drum, oloyin and ifebrown but not in small seeds of local white, weights of 100 seeds from big seeds were much heavier than those of small seeds. Number of leaves, leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf area, stem height and dry weight, were consistently higher in cowpea plants from big seeds than the small seeds of all the varieties. Number of seeds per pod was higher in cowpea from big seeds in all the varieties except in drum where number of seeds was higher in plants from small seeds. In general, seedlings emerging from big seeds of all the cowpea varieties performed better in all the parameters studied than those emerging from smaller seeds.
An experiment to examine the competitive effect of Euphorbia heterophylla on the growth and yield of cowpea was conducted behind the Insectary of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in 2015. The experimental design was completely randomized design with eight replications arranged in replacement series with treatments established in mixture proportions of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3 and 0:4 (cowpea: Euphorbia heterophylla) plants per pot. Data collected were plant height, number of leaves, total dry matter (to determine relative yield totals, aggressivity and competitive ratio), leaf area, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and hundred seed weight. The data were analyzed using ANOVA and means separated by LSD (P<0.05) using GENSTAT. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed among cowpea in the number of leaves, leaf area, plant height and number of pods per plant at six weeks after planting and also nine weeks after planting. No significant difference was observed among seeds per pod and hundred seed weight after six weeks after planting and nine weeks after planting. Aggressivity and competitive ratio values showed that Euphorbia heterophylla in mixture proportion was a stronger competitor than cowpea. At the end of the experiment, results obtained showed that, growth, yield and yield components of cowpea were more affected in competition with Euphorbia heterophylla.
Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Genetic Variability Study Among Ten Cultivars of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) Using Morpho-agronomic Traits and Nutritional Composition2015 •
Advances in Agroforestry
Light Intensity Effects on Growth and Nutrient-use Efficiency of Tropical Legume Cover Crops2008 •
2012 •
Vigna unguiculata is a member of the Vigna (peas or beans) genus.[8] Unguiculata is Latin for "with a small claw", which reflects the small stalks on the flower petals.[9] All cultivated cowpeas are found within the universally accepted V. unguiculata subspecies unguiculata classification, which is then commonly divided into four cultivar groups: Unguiculata, Biflora, Sesquipedalis, and Textilis.[10][11] Some well-known common names for cultivated cowpeas include Lesera/ Dangbodi (লেছেৰা/ ডাংবডি) in Assamese, black-eye pea, southern pea, yardlong bean, catjang and Crowder Pea.[8] The classification of the wild relatives within V. unguiculata is more complicated, with over 20 different names having been used and between 3 and 10 subgroups described.[10][12] The original subgroups of stenophylla, dekindtiana and tenuis appear to be common in all taxonomic treatments, with the earlier described variations pubescens and protractor being raised to sub species level by a 1993 charactisation.[10][13]
The need to obtain crop varieties that are tolerant to heat and drought cannot be overemphasised especially with the threat of climate change to agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Bambara groundnut has been identified as a drought tolerant crop; however, variations exist among landraces with respect to drought tolerance. An experiment was therefore conducted to evaluate the performance of five bambara groundnut landraces: Black eye, Burkina, NAV 4, NAV Red and Tom, to drought and heat stress, at the Irrigation Company of Upper East Region (ICOUR) at Tono-Navrongo in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. The heat trial was irrigated once weekly to field capacity until crop maturity. The drought trial was irrigated once weekly until 30 DAS, after which irrigation ceased. Burkina, a landrace from Burkina Faso produced the highest pod yield of 1.2 t/ha under the heat treatment. Tom did not produce any pod yield. Under drought, Burkina exhibited the greatest root dry weight and leaf area at 120 DAS, and had the longest leaf area duration (LAD). Burkina exhibited bunch canopy architecture, while NAV 4, NAV Red, and Black eye had an intermediate canopy type and Tom a spreading type. Burkina proved the most drought and heat tolerant among the five landraces evaluated. Though a drought tolerant crop, temperatures beyond 38°C and low relative humidity can negatively affect pod yield of bambara groundnut even when irrigation is provided. It is important to test the performance of a crop under a new environment before money is invested into its production in that environment.
2020 •
SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN THE TROPICS
EFFECTS OF WATER STRESS ON DRY MATTER PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE QUALITY OF SPIDERPLANT,(GYNANDROPSIS GYNANDRA (L.) BRIQ)Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering and …
Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]2005 •
Achieving sustainable cultivation of grain legumes Volume 2
Improving cultivation of cowpea in West AfricaJournal of Experimental Agriculture International
Agro-Morphological Characterization of Three Cultivated Legumes: Two Varieties of Soybean (Glycine max L.) and One Variety of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.)International Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
Characterization of Some Traditional Cowpea Varieties Grown by Farmers in the Soudano-Sahelian Zone of Cameroon2013 •
African Journal of Agricultural Research
Influence of Bradyrhizobia inoculation on growth, nodulation and yield performance of cowpea varietiesLEGUME RESEARCH - AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
Influence of seed priming and different irrigation levels on growth parameters of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)2018 •
2014 •
Journal of Biology Agriculture and Healthcare
Control of Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Population on Root Knot of Vigna unguiculata (L.Walp) (Cowpea) with Organic Soil Amendments2013 •
2015 •
International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
Mutagenic Effect of Carboxylic Acid on the Growth and Yield of Two Varieties of Pepper Grown in Mubi, Adamawa StateJournal of Agricultural Science
Influence of Seedling Age at Inoculation and Cultivar on the Pathogenicity of a Virus Causing Yellow Mosaic Disease of Commelina Benghalensis L. on Cowpea2010 •
Agricultural Sciences
Influence of phosphorus on the performance of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.) varieties in the Sudan savanna of Nigeria2011 •
2010 •
Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Evaluation of Advanced Breeding Lines of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) for High Seed Yield under Farmers Field ConditionsInternational Journal of Pest Management
Field performance of improved cowpea varieties under conditions of natural infestation by the parasitic weed Striga gesnerioides2008 •